Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-20

England; Prof. l.. Willie, Basel. SwftLerland: DIR.
Chas. Warden, Birmingham, England: DIR. p A.
Young Edinburgh, scotland; Or. Jno. Gould,
Hatherleigh, England; Dr. J. A. Mcwilliam, Aber-
deem, Scotland.
THE GREAT MEDICAL LIBRARY.
Cart Loads OF Books ON Their Way 60
the New Building.
MOVING FROM THE OLD FoRps TfiEArER-A pEscRrr-
TIoS OF THE NEW BpILpISG-THE MOST EXTENSIVE
COLLECTION OF MEDICAL LITERATURE IN THE
woRi.D-A TALK WITH DR.. BILLINGS
A long wooden shute has been erected from the
second story OF the Army Medical Museum on
10th street, which extends across the sidewalk
and stops some 4 or ) feet above the curb The
visitors and sghtseers are very much interested In
this shute and its uses and they regard IL prob
ably as In some way connected with the assassi-
nation OF President Lincoln, for. as everyone
knows, the old Ford's Theater, where Lincoln was
shot, has been occupied by the Army Medical Mu-
scum and the Medical Library ever since the build
Ing became the property OF the Government IL 1t
was not for the historic associations OF the place II
would probably not be visited at all by the general
run OF sightSeerS But here they come and gaze
up at the weather-beaten and dngy front OF the
Old building and then across the street, WHERE
house front Is White marble tablet informing The
paSSeroy that In that house President Lincoln
Dreathed his last. Beyond this there Is
nothing to Indicate the scene OF the great
tragedy OF Twenty-Five years ago, and so the aver
age tourist has time to pay some attention 10 The
wooden shute that empties into space. IL has
been there only for the past few days, and
any one who has had curiosity enough 10 walt
around and see what was going to he done would
be rewarded by seeing "A large dray drive up and
| stop under the shute. Then presently long boxes
would come sliding dowa the smooth surface OF
| the boards and be caught by the men In the dray
and piled up in regular order. These long boxes
are nlled with books All day long, and for sew
eral days, the drays have been coming up l0th
street, pausing at the Museum building receiving
their loads OF books, and then disappearing.
| THE NEW BUILDING.
The explanation Of all this is that the great COL
| lection OF the Medical Library Is being removed
| from the cramped quarters in the museum build
| ing 10 the sp!end!d new building which has just
been erected at the southeast corner OF eth and u
streets, just cas-. of the National Museum Build
Ing. Tue erection OF this building begun about
two years ago, ana ii is now nearly completed.
While the finishing touches are being made d.. J.
s. Billings, l. 5. A., the librarian, with his assist
ants, have moved IN, and the work or transferring
the great coliectionof books from the Old building
TO the new IL gong on rapidly. The new building
as probably most OF the readers OF HE STAR know,
occupies the space In the southeast corner oi the
| Smithsonian grounds The 'front.' on street t.
232 feet, the central portion having frontage u
liz feet. The wings ON the east and west side are
each 90 feet front, with a depth or l3l feet. The
| building Is OF brick three stories I'm height, and
While II has no very great architectural pr,.ten-
sions, II Is substantial neat-ooking structure, In
| harmony with the building or the National Mu-
Il
mentation consists OF moulding and cornicea OF
brick and terra Gotta, with courses or blue stone
| running around the building AT each story. The
center portion Is kind OF tower projection, FORM
ing fourth story. The building Is entirely
ire-proof, and has been erected within
the appropriation OF 100000, and as
scope for Ornamental architecture or lavish eX-
peaGiture. the building however, II Is believed,
Is admirably adapted 10 the purposes Tor which IL
Is intended The Old building WAS hot at all fire
proof and il is believed TO be not very secure The
main object 10 be attained In the new building WAS
security and protection Tor the yalu abie collections
which are u De deposited there. Both the library
and the museum proper had increased IN size TO
such an extent that additional room was abso-
THE LIBRARY AND THE MUSEUM.
The new building provides especially for the ac-
commodation OF the library and the museum.
The entire first floor will be devoted TO Offices for
here the clerks of the pension and record division
OF the surgeons General will be accommodated
Their work makes ii necessary for them Ia consult
the hospital records OF the late war, which belong
TO the museum. The rest OF the building viii be
devoted TO the library and museum. The library
occupies the west wing and the museum the east
wing. In the wings there are no divisions OF sfo-
rieS but they are both great halls, having height
OF 81 feet &c the ceiling, with an open roof cuy
cred by q rentilating lantern shylight. In the
museum hall There is an iron gallery running
around the four Sides giving additional door space
for exhibition purposes.
The cases Tor tine books In the library hall have
already been erected ana while there is now room
for 100 600 books oliy one-half or the floor space
has been used. DIR. Billings says that the building
provides Tor the growth oI the library for the neXt
twenty five years. The system OF casing boonS Is
what is known as the stack system" The frame
work is OF iron with movable OAK shelves, max an.
vertical bookcases with Shelf room each sldt.
Each or these cases 10 about Z feet in height and
they are separated by passageways There are
three tiers OF these cases, Using one above the
other. The paSoageways are OF iron, like the
Cases, thus making really miniature house OF
three stories, rising TO height OF some II feet.
Iron sraircases connect the different stories anu
fb,lrQ viii .1S hf a hOs L.. hon
the great collection OF books and pamphlets be-
longing TO the library are In place they will pre-
sent L compact array. yet each book viii have its
place and can be obtained with ease and eXpedi-
tiOn. This system OF casing is said TO be the one
in use In all large libraries and is believed 10 he
the best known. The fioor OF the library is
formed OF brick arches resting iron beams fin
tshed with large stone slabs resting on a bed OF
concrete Inc doors are OF wr1ugnt iron, which
proof as IL is possible TO make 1t.
THE OFFICE ROOMS
in the central portion OF the building the second
floor to be occupied by DIR. Billings and his as
Sistants, Dr. Robt. Fletcher and DIR. H. c. Yarrow.
The rooms in the third floor are to be used mainly
museum. The floors OF the Office rooms are fin-
lShed with wooden flooring, on sleepers lmbedded
In concrete, aud those In the basement have no
woodwork, but are OF Portland cement, OF a dark
tint. The corridors are laid with plain encaustic
ttle The roofs are constructed OF lighter material
similar TO that OF the floors. The partitions or
brick, solid in some cases and hollow in Others
To comply with The requirements that the build
ing be made ire-proof there is as little wood work
used as possible Instead OF the usual baSeOoards
there is along the floors OF the building strips
Portland cement plastering, parted from the plas-
ing is heated throughout by steam, and the Office
rooms have plain marble mantels and crates
The heights OF the stories are as follows: Base
ment IL ieet; first story, 10 feet center building
second story, ID feet; wings, second story, 2 feet
center building third story, Is feet, and fourth
story up to the under side or the root The space
immediately